I Just Don't Play Quidditch
by CrookshanksTheCat
Summary: Hermione decides that she wants to play sports again; more specifically, hockey. But when everyone is surprised, she has to remind them that she just doesn't like quidditch; who said anything about other sports?
1. Chapter 1

Hermione was bored. She hated being bored. She was barely ever bored - she always had so much work going on. And seeing as she hadn't any practice, she was not good at being bored; she didn't know how to cope with it. And Hermione Granger hated being bad at things.

She spread out on her armchair, trying to read her book. No-one found this particularly stunning, as everyone in Hogwarts knew that Hermione's favourite hobby consisted of studying. Or so they thought, at least.

The truth was that Hermione wasn't always studying. She often read for pleasure; storybooks that she could immerse herself in. She still studied lots, yes, but she read because she loved to read, not because she loved to learn.

Of course, she still did love to learn, she always had, right from when she started school. She stretched out lazily on her chair, reminiscing on her days in the muggle world. She had gone to a particularly posh Primary School; it encouraged tradition and discipline. She played older sports there, too. Lacrosse, hockey…

She suddenly and abruptly sat up in her chair. That was it! Hockey!

Hermione has begun playing hockey at the age of seven, and stopped only when she started high school. She had tried out lots of different positions until she settled on being a midfielder - much more action that way.

Oh, what she'd give to play hockey. Obviously, she knew it was a possibility, but she wasn't sure who'd actually go along with the idea. However, she did kind of want to see her hockey stick again… Why not?

"Accio hockey stick," she muttered. Of course, her house was a way away, so the hockey stick took a minute or so to arrive, but it got there. Hermione got up and stride over to the window. She grabbed it, catching it as it zoomed through the window, and examined it, recollecting how fierce and reliable this stick had been.

She tried holding it in proper position, left arm at the top and right hand halfway down. No-one had really noticed.

Then she gave a small ball of paper on the ground near her and experimental whack, using just a normal pass. The ball flew in the air and landed straight in the fire, sizzling and crackling 'till it burnt down to ashes.

This time, heads turned. Hermione saw Ginny looking at her confusedly, Ron giving eyeing her stick suspiciously, and Harry look round and jump up.

"Is that a hockey stick? Where'd you get that?"

Ron followed behind him, bewildered.

"Hock-ee? What's a hock-ee stick?" He asked.

"It's a muggle thing," said Hermione. "A sport called hockey - you use a stick to pass a ball around and shoot goals."

Hermione demonstrated by dribbling another ball of paper up and down a small bit of the room. Ron still looked suspicious.

"Oh, it's fine, Ron, don't look so worried,"

Hermione said irritably.

The twins strolled over, looking at Hermione's contraption (a contraption that consists of a stick, but a contraption nonetheless).

"Hermione Granger, playing sports? Oh goodness me," grinned George.

"You mean the Hermione Granger who can't ride a broomstick to save her life?" Fred asked.

"Yes, the one who can't throw a ball for toffee!"

"Or fudge?"

"Or chocolate frogs?"

"Yes, that's the one!"

Fred gasped dramatically and put a hand to his forehead as if he were about it faint.

"Shut up," said Hermione, rolling her eyes.

"Ow!" yelped Fred. That thing's violent!"

"Well, yes," said Hermione irritably. "You're supposed to wear shin guards. Hockey is quite a violent game."

"Nice!" said George.

"Is that your hockey stick, Hermione? I didn't know you played hockey!" exclaimed Harry.

"I used to play midfield. I started ages ago. I originally wanted to play ice hockey, but there was no ice-rink at my school. But I prefer it off the ice now."

"Wow!" said Harry, marvelling. "That's not like you at all! We played hockey a few times in gym class when I was nine or ten. I stole one of the school's old hockey sticks and when I got the chance I would use it with a bouncy ball in the garden, and sometimes my room."

"Stole it? That's a bit excessive!"

"I found it in the playground and took it home, Hermione; it wasn't some sort of organised crime."

"D'you want to play?" asked Hermione. Without waiting for answer, she said "Accio Harry's hockey stick!" and Harry just about grabbed it as it came through the window.

 **A/N**

 **Hey! So that was different. I haven't been on here in a while (not that anyone cares) 'cos I've kind of come away from the world of fandom. Until like last week.**

 **Anyway, I am obsessed with Fremione again, but this won't be a fremione, though there are some coming. This will be focused on Hermione.** **Thanks! I like reading reviews but I don't care too much if you don't feel like it.**


	2. Chapter 2

"Oh wow! I haven't seen this thing for ages!" Harry smiled as he flipped his stick over into position. Hermione noted that he had excellent grip; he held it exactly right and when he flipped it he was in total control. "You have very good grip, Harry," she told him, as he beamed. He, in response, hit a scrunched up piece of parchment on the ground and hit it to her. She hit it back and soon they were rallying, running across the common room joyfully. They had caused quite a commotion, everyone half wondering what on Earth they were doing and half being shocked that Hermione Granger was causing this much of a ruckus. Hermione knew this, but she didn't really care; she was having fun.

"Hey! We want in on the fun too!" laughed Ron, bouncing over to join them.

"Why don't we have a proper game?" Hermione asked happily, cheeks pink. "We can transfigure some stick-like objects - maybe some firewood? Let's make them into hockey sticks and get a ball and play a game outside!" She turned to Harry. "We can teach them, can't we?" Harry high-fived her and yelled across the room. "Who wants to play hockey?" Neville and Ginny came bounding over immediately, and Dean and Seamus joined them. The people who were already crowded around Harry and Hermione (Fred, George, Ron, and Lee) nodded in agreement.

"Hey, Wood!" shouted George.

"Over here! Come play hock-ee!" yelled Fred.

"So that's…eleven of us. That's barely enough for one team! We need teams of at least eleven, but if we want substitutes - which would be useful - we need way more people," explained Hermione.

"Let's go bug the Ravenclaws to play!" And with that unnecessary shout from Ron, everyone ran straight to the Ravenclaw Tower.

Hermione sighed and ran after them.

When the storm of people had got out of Ravenclaw tower with the necessary amount of people, Hermione, Harry and Ron transfigured a bunch of firewood into hockey sticks. Hermione took charge, teaching everyone to hold a stick, going over the basics, and eventually giving everyone a position. Dean Thomas was pleasantly surprised to find that all the positions were the same as football ones and most quidditch players very annoyed to find that they weren't good at _all_ sports.

"Listen, just because you're good at Quidditch doesn't mean you're a born athlete. I'm really quite awful at Quidditch, I suppose," Hermione said, sighing at the prospect of admitting she wasn't good at something. "But I'm rather good at hockey. It's about practice and, well, talent. Some people are good at some sports, and some are good at others. That's one of the reasons muggles have so many sports - everyone's got one that they're at least okay at."

Soon she had divided everyone into teams and positions. She appointed herself midfielder along with Ginny and Ron. Fred, George and Lee were defenders, rushing about in a very ungraceful manner, excited for the ball to come their way. Luna was going to be the goalie, but Hermione thought she better stay more focused and in on the action before she went off in a daydream, so Hermione put her forward with Cho Chang and Michael Corner, insisting that the teams needed to be a mix of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. The team goalie was Harry, who was darting about gleefully, waving his stick in the air. And finally, the sweeper was Marietta Edgecombe. On the other team, Padma and Parvati Patil were up front with Oliver Wood, the twins giggling and whispering to each other, eyeing him carefully. Neville, Dean and Seamus were playing midfield and Terry Boot, Penelope Clearwater and Lisa Turpin were defenders. Justin Finch-Fletchley and Hannah Abbott, who had joined them as they left Ravenclaw Tower were playing as goalie and sweeper.

Hermione walked forward, placed the ball in the middle, and blew her new whistle.

" _Begin_!"


	3. Chapter 3

As soon as Hermione had yelled the fateful word, chaos ensued. She had run forward initially and taken the ball, running straight forward towards the goal, she got passed the forwards and the midfielders, and was on her way to a goal when she was tackled by Penelope Clearwater. Penelope seemed unsure of what to do at that moment, and only after a moment's hesitation, she began to run forward with the ball, dribbling it as Hermione had shown her. However, this was a moment too late, as Hermione had run to mark Penelope and when she had passed the ball to midfielder Neville, Hermione was ready to intercept. She ran furiously to her team's half of the pitch with the ball and swiftly passed it to Cho. Cho ran off with it, the other team's members following her and trying to tackle her. Cho was about to pass to Ginny when Dean tackled her and, excited that he had the ball, and nervous with everyone surrounding him, passed clumsily to Parvati Patil. Parvati was, interestingly, a very good player and she ran swiftly up the other end of the pitch, swung her stick, and went for a goal. However, Fred Weasley intercepted and passed quickly to Lee, who passed to George, who passed to Ginny. Ginny dribbled the ball hastily over the other half of the team and hit the ball at Ron. Ron was a bit clumsy, Hermione noted, but really not that awful. Hermione made a mental note to go over grip with him again.

Ron practically flew to the goals, very hastily yet swiftly knocking the ball through defence - Terry Boot nearly intercepts - past Justin Finch-Fletchley as sweeper - and goal!

Hermione joined in with the team's rejoicing, though soon put the ball back in the middle and had everyone resume play. After another hour or so of playing, everyone getting a more or less equal turn, Hermione and Harry's team were winning at 15 goals, while the other team were at twelve. They laughed and shook hands as they decided to call it a day. Hermione bounded back to the common room, smiling all the way.

Ron and Harry were very tired, and as Ron flopped down onto his bed, stuffing his new hockey stick under his bed, he mumbled: "Never knew muggle games could be such good fun."

 **So that was it! I think I'm finished with this story, as I don't know what else to write. I hope you enjoyed! I know this was short, but most of my chapters are, so I can get them up faster. Bye!**


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